Closure was inevitable

Cambridge Times

Without a doubt, many residents are in a state of mourning this week after learning public school trustees voted Monday to close Dickson Public School. It seems surreal to think the battle to keep the much-loved school open – a fight that lasted decades – is finally over. Avid supporters of the school rallied relentlessly over the last year to save the school which was firmly on the chopping block during a recent school closure review. They won a victory of sorts, delaying the axe for another year.

Sadness will soon replace shock when the board finally locks the doors at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Some may perceive the delay as a mere olive branch, but the extra year will provide time for the community to celebrate Dickson’s history and heritage and prepare for changes.

In a world where bigger and brand new is thought to be better, Dickson continued to survive, providing an old-school approach to education, where teachers know the names of all students and their families.

The truth, however, is that these qualities aren’t necessarily exclusive to a small school. While Dickson’s smaller class sizes were an asset, its charm had much to do with the quality of its educators. That’s something much more than bricks and mortar.

Dickson’s fate may have been inevitable, written in stone even, but the future of its students, definitely is not. The school’s doors may be closing, but its students may now have a chance to attend more modern schools, opening up new windows of opportunity for learning.